<p>Hello everyone,</p> <p>We have decided to&nbsp;participate in&nbsp;the Nike "Run to the Beat" Half Marathon this year, taking place on 25th September 2011 ( yes - less than 3 weeks away...YIKES!).</p> <p>We have decided to donate the money we raise to the East Africa Drought Appeal having heard that more than 10 million people in East Africa are suffering the worst drought in more than half a century.&nbsp; It has been described as a humanitarian emergency by the United Nations with thousands of men, women and children trekking for days in search of water.&nbsp; All of these people have seen their crops, livestock and homes taken as a result of the drought.&nbsp; The British Government is providing help to 1.3 million of those people affected however more needs to be done.</p> <p>Dadaab, a refugee camp in Eastern Kenya, has been set up&nbsp;to provide some relief however it is heart-breaking to learn that&nbsp;infant mortality in this camp has risen threefold in the last few months, according to the UN. Infants are especially vulnerable to malnutrition and all the illnesses and diseases which frequently accompany it, such as pneumonia and diarrhoea.</p> <p>Hearing stories such as this makes you realise how we can sometimes take our lives for granted and there are far more less fortunate people who desperately need our help.</p> <p>We have been training hard and would like to make a small plea for you to donate whatever you can&nbsp;in aid of this good cause.&nbsp; We would be over the moon if we could reach a target of &pound;250.00...every penny adds up!&nbsp;</p> <p>We really do appreciate your support.</p> <p>Wish us luck...</p> <p>Sapna and Poonam</p> <p>xx</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>NB - Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving &ndash; they&rsquo;ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they&rsquo;ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it&rsquo;s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</p>